Dear Brethren, Co-Workers and Friends:
What a truly great Feast of Tabernacles 2007 it has been! We can confidently say that God did bless His people tremendously—physically and spiritually—who assembled this year in Florence, Oregon, and in Derbyshire, in Great Britain.
We are quoting below excerpts from Feast reports which we published in their entirety in our recent Update (#313):
Excerpts from Brian Gale’s Feast Report 2007 from Great Britain
“… the Global Church of God Feast site at Chatsworth House in rural Derbyshire in the Peak District National Park, had a very pleasant spell of good weather that greatly enhanced the enjoyment of a wonderful Feast with just a very small amount of rain… This year we had eleven different speakers who gave a wonderful and varied helping of spiritual food… These messages were designed to instruct and motivate members about the wonderful future that God has promised for His faithful people in the Kingdom of God. How blessed we are to have such precious knowledge and to spend eight days in being instructed in what lies ahead.
“Members who had not toured Chatsworth House in previous years were encouraged to do so… Other activities included a sumptuous Feast dinner, a social evening with a beetle drive and a pictorial quiz showing church members and world famous figures when they were young, with much fun guessing who was who… A coach tour of this beautiful area was also arranged, and this historical and beautiful part of the UK was appreciated by all who took advantage of this trip…
“It is hoped that next year, the Feast of Tabernacles will again be held at Chatsworth House and all who wish to worship in peace and harmony are welcome to attend…”
Excerpts from Norbert Link’s Feast Report 2007 from the United States
“The Church of the Eternal God celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles this year in Florence, Oregon. We had scheduled an interactive outdoor Bible study with a bonfire on the beach on Friday evening, September 28, but learned that a fire ban was in effect. So, we prayed for a little bit of rain on Friday morning, and it did rain enough to lift the fire ban and permit us to have our bonfire and a very deep discussion about personal conviction… In addition, we prayed hard for sunshine on Monday afternoon, October 1, for our scheduled out-door Family Barbeque. God granted us the desires of our hearts on that occasion as well, and we enjoyed clear blue sky throughout our activity, even though the weather forecast for Monday was 100% rain.
“We could witness God’s mighty and loving hand throughout the Feast. Besides the above-mentioned activities, we enjoyed a Talent and Game Night and a Masquerade Dinner Dance in Driftwood Shores’ beautiful banquet room, where we also conducted services throughout the Feast. In addition, several brethren visited the famous aquarium in Newport, enjoyed horse-back riding and four-wheeler rides, or had just a very good time eating, fellowshipping and renewing friendships.
“Highlights of the Feast included the ordinations of Eric Rank as Deacon and Phyllis Bourque as Deaconess; as well as the blessing of two little children (Talus Harris and Nicolas Bruno). Everyone enjoyed the live performances for special music, including vocal solos and duets, as well as performances by the children’s choir, the men’s quartet and the entire choir. A variety of speakers addressed numerous aspects of the Feast of Tabernacles and related lessons… This was truly a great Feast, and many commented sadly how quickly it was over. Without doubt, God DID bless His people abundantly in Florence, Oregon.”
And so it WAS truly a remarkable and richly blessed Feast of Tabernacles 2007!
But now the Feast is over, and we must all fight against the discouragement of having to leave behind
a foretaste of the Millennium and returning to this Satanic world. With the realization that we are back in this evil rotten present world may come disillusionment. This is even more a distinct possibility
when we consider that we are facing a period of six long and dark winter months (in the Western hemisphere)—until the beginning of a new year (on April 6, 2008, according to God’s Holy calendar), and the commencement of God’s Spring Holy Days (with the keeping of Passover in the evening of
April 18, 2008).
During the intermediate months, the “Christian” world will be celebrating the dreadful pagan and demonic holidays of Halloween (October 31); the “Christmas” festival (December 25) and man’s New Year (December 31/January 1); as well as the “Easter” festival (March 23, 2008), when a deceived “Christianity” will honor Satan and his evil spirits, as well as man-made idols such as the sun god Baal, erroneously thinking they are worshipping Jesus Christ in the manger or dying on the cross, or a Trinitarian “God” of “One Person in Three Persons.” That entire time ahead of us is surely a period which every true Christian would rather escape from, by fleeing to “a deserted island”—just to get away from the evil influences which seem to gain in strength and magnification during the time before, during and shortly after those Satanically inspired holidays.
But we must not give in to the “after-Feast-let-down-syndrome,” nor must we allow ourselves to become so much involved in the affairs of this world that we slowly forget the messages heard and the lessons learned at GOD’s Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus did not take us out of this world (compare John 17:15)—rather, He sends us into the world (compare Matthew 10:16) to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations (Matthew 24:14)—the wonderful truth that He will return and set up the KINGDOM of God on this earth—something we have thought about and celebrated for eight days during the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.
The Feast foreshadowed for us how this world will look like in a very few years from now. But we also know that Christ will NOT return UNLESS the GOSPEL is preached first (Mark 13:10). There are many “gospels” which are preached these days—but there is only ONE TRUE Gospel which NEEDS to be preached (Galatians 1:6-9). God has revealed the MYSTERY of the true GOSPEL message of the Kingdom of God to His Church (Ephesians 6:19-20)—while He has HIDDEN it from the rest of the world (Mark 4:10-12)—including from all those hundreds and thousands of churches, sects and denominations which may call themselves Christian, but which are NOT part of the true Body of Christ.
Dear brethren, co-workers and friends, God has given us the awesome privilege AND responsibility to participate in the most important Work on earth—to HELP and ASSIST in the proclamation of the TRUTH of God—the soon-coming restoration of the government of God here on earth. The Feast of Tabernacles reminded us of that awesome future and our present duties. Let us not forget and drift away from what we have learned—but let us, with renewed strength and energy, band together to DO the Work!
Let us ALL continue with being about our “Father’s business” (compare Luke 2:49).
With the love of Jesus Christ,
Norbert Link
Dave Harris
Rene Messier
Brian Gale
